Aerodrome.



N. L. MAYHEW.

AERODROME. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1910. 994 417 Patented June 6, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Witnesses z Attorneys N. L. MAYHEW.

AERODROME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1910.

994,417, Patented June 6,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

id %Z Witnesses fl lmientor by I Attorney;

N. L. MAYHEW.

AERODROME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1910.

994,417, Patented June 6,1911.

Witnesses Inventor WW 1 Attorneys.

N. L. MAYHEW.

AEBODROME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1910.

Patented June 6, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Witnesses 152M172. jazz Inventor by I I I y I Attorneys Specification of Letters Patent. Application file'd Jul 1910. Serial No. 572,09a

Patented June 6, 1911.

' To all whom it may concern:

,peller so mounted as undesirable speed Be it known that-I, NATHANIEL L. MAY- HEW, a citizen of the at Beaumont, in the county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Aerodrome, of which the following is a specification. Y 4 This invention relates to aerodroines or flying machines of the heavier than air type, and its object is to provide a machine of the class better known as a helicopter wherein rotating elevating wheels are utilized to raise the machine to a desiredelevation.

' Another object is to provide a helicopter utilizing a plurality of elevating wheels all of which may be driven by one or more motors, there being a novel arrangement of gearing for transmitting motion from the motors to the wheels.

A still further object is to either or both of the motors, there being separate operated by theaviator for. placlng the propeller or anyone of. the elevating wheels into or out of operative relation with the motor or motors.

Another object is to provide a novel arrangement of vertical and horizontal rudders for controlling the direction of flight. still further object is to provide a sustalning plane which is mounted upon the upper portion of the machine and serves to prevent the machine from descending at an should the elevating Wheels be inadvertently broken or stopped While the machine is in flight, I Another object is to so construct the sustain'ing plane that it will not interfere with the supply of a'ir'to the elevating wheels.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of certain 1.-.ovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

i In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,-Figure l is a side elevation of the completemachine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view of the/gearing employed for transmitting motion from two motors to the elevating wheels and to the propeller. Fig. 5 is a de-. tail view of one of the gears and its shifting mechanism.

Referring to the figures by characters of United States, residing provide a. proreference 1 designates the bottom frame of Upwardly inclined spars 5 extend from the front end of the bottom frame of the car and are connected, at their front ends, to

forwardly and downwardly inclined braces 6,

front standards 2. A the forward ends of the 5 and has a horizontal upon it. An arm 9 extends downwardly from this rudder and is connected by a rod 10, to a rack bar 11 which is slidably'mounted upon a holding strip 12 locatedwithin the car and which, when engaging the rack bar, serves to hold it against longitudinal movement. A handle 13 extends from the rack bar and close to the seat extending from the rod 7 is journaled in braces 6 and spars rudder 8 mounted 14 to be occupied by the aviator.

A vertical pivot rod 15 is supported in rear of the center of the machine by means of upwardly curved converging supporting membersf16 and by downwardly curved rearwardly converging members 17 these members 17 being extended rearwardly from the upper side strips 3 while the members 16 are extended tend rea-rwardly from the lower members 16 and support -a pivot rod 19 on which is mounted the rear horizontal rudder 20 of the machine. An arm 21 extends downwardly from this rudder by a rod 22, with the. rack bar 11 so that,

when saidbar is shifted longitudinally, mo-

tion will'be transmitted therefrom through thetwo rods 10 and 21 to the front and rearwardly from the lower side strips of the bottom frame 1. Arms 18 expoints adjacent. their centers, by side and end strips 4:.

and is connected,

rear horizontal rudders and thus cause them to be tilted in unison and to lie at all times either in the same or in parallel planes.

' A vertical rudder 23 is the machine, these cords being mounted on guide arms 25 extending laterally from the members 16. Cords 24 extend forwardly and are wrapped about and secured to a drum 26 located upon the bottom portion of the car and secured to an upstanding shaft 27 having. a hand wheel 28 which is located close to the seat 14 so that it can be conveniently reached and operated by the 101) pivotally mounted on the rod 15 and actuating cords 24 are. extended therefrom toward opposite sides of aviator.

Supporting members 29- are secured to the motor is preferably located within the rear portion of the car and upon a deck 44 Sup side strips 4 of the car frame and extend upwardly therefrom, inginclined upwardly away from the standards 2 and extending a considerable distance above the standards, the upper ends of the supporting members being connected by cross strips 30. These strips constitute mem- 1 These cords serve strips upward.

bers of a frame 31 extending over and beyond the ends and sides of the car and which is connected to the car not only by the members 29 but also by means of cross braces 32 arranged diagonally at the sides of the car and attached to the side strips 4, and by means of downwardly converging braces 33 and 34. The braces 33 are attached to the outer ends of the members 17 while the braces 34 are attached to the upper end of a standard 35 projecting upwardly from the front end of the bottom frame 1 and the upper end of which is attached to. the side 4 by means of forwardly converging rails 36. Braces 37 extend from the front corner standards 2 to the braces thus cotiperating to form trusses whereby displacement of the frame 31 in a rearward direction is prevented. The various supporting members 29 may be tied, at intermediate points, of tie' wires 38 or the like and the braces 6 may be similarly. connected, as by means of tie wires 39,. to the upper end. of the standards 35.

The frame 31 is adapted to be practically closed, under certain conditions, by trans- .in their downward movement relative to said frame, by means of cords 41 orthe like.

to hold the wings normally inclined upwardly and'forwardly below the frame 31 and the wings are so proportioned and located that, when the machine descends, the pressure of air in an direction against the win will cause said wings to swing shut and c ose the frame 31 which will thus act as a sustaining plane or parachute to prevent the machine from descending atan undersirable speed. Preferably three openings are formed in this sustaining plane when the shutters are closed, these openings being located; above the center and end portions, respectively, of the car and being produced by cutting away certain of theshutters, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. V

The elevating and propelling mechanism is under the control of two motors, one of 34, these parts to the standards 2, by means all of these membersbeported by the side strips 4, this upper motor being shown at 45. Said deck extends over the seat 14 and supports a lever 46 one end of which loosely engages a clutch member 47 which is feathered on propeller 49. Said shaft is journaled in suitable bearings .50 supported by the.deckand it alines with thedrive shaft 51 of the motor 45, there being a clutch member 52 upon said drive shaft. A controlling lever 53 is mounted close to the seat 14 and is connected by a rod 54 to the lever 46 so by shifting the lever 53, the lever 46 may be actuated so as tomove clutch 47 into or out of engagement with the clutch member 52. a

The shaft 51 has a 'gear 55 secured to it and adapted to mesh with a gear 56 which has an integral arm extending down- 'war dly therefrom to a point close to the seat14 and said arm is adapted to be shifted laterally .into engagement with either of two shoulders 66 formed upon a tendin locking strip 67 supported in the car. y placing the, arm. 65 in engagement cured in mesh with the gear 55 and, by ,moving the arm 65 into engagement with the end of each shaft 68 being preferably 10- lever 73. Another gea '74 is feathered on the lower end of shaft lever 76. The two levers 73 and 76 are loosely engaged by arms-77 extendingfrom the end portions f an actuating rod which is mounted for rotation within the car and has a handle 79 locatedclose to the seat 14 and by means of which the said rod can be partly rotated so as to simultaneously shift the two levers 73 and 76 and thus s1;

that,

is feathered on a vertical shaft 57 arranged I centrally within the car and journaled withlink 63 to one end of a lever 64. This lever with one of the shoulders, gear 56 can be seextending below the wheel the shaft 48 of the transversely exother shoulder 66, the gear 56 can be 'dis- 42. An elevating wheel 70 is h I grooved collar 72 engaged byone end of a 69 and has an integral grooved collar 75 loosely engaged by a wardly or do alighting,

83 is adapted to termediate gear secured to lower end of the gear 84 which is central shaft 57.

In order that the machine may travel easily over the ground when starting or when supporting wheels 85 are located under the rear portion of the frame 1 and a caster wheel 86- is arranged under the front standard 35.

In order that the openings 42 may be closed during the descent of the machine, flaps 87 are secured to the frame 31 along the front edges of said opening, These flaps normally hang vertically from the frame and are connected by cords 88 or the like attached to the lower portions thereof. An operating cord 89 extends from the rear flap 87 and upwardly over a guide 90 from which it extends downwardly to and througli the car and thence upwardly to the front flap87. It is to be understood that this cord is provided with guides wherever necessary and it passes close to the seat 14 so that it can be readily grasped and actuated by the aviator. r In using the machine the cord" 89 is first secured so as to prevent the flaps ,87 from swinging rearwardly and upwardly during the forward movement of the machine.

Gear 56 is disengaged from gear 55 by means of the lever 64 and its arm 65 and the motor 43 is started. Gears 71 and 74 are shifted simultaneously into mesh with gears 81 and 83 by means of the rod7 8 and motion will therefore be transmitted from the mo- 7 tor and through the several gears and shafts to the elevating wheels 59 and 7 0. Air is displaced downwardly by these wheels and the Wings 40 will open automatically so that there will be practically no interference with the upward movement of the machine by the frame 31 and the Should the motor 43' become-disabled, the gear 56 can be shifted into mesh with gear all of the elevating wheels. This motor also serves to drive the propeller shaft 48 the movement of which can be controlled by means of the clutch' members 47 and 52.

- As has heretofore been stated the machine purposes being easy of access.

ing wheels thereabove,

into the car for parts connected thereto.

can be steered upwardly and downwardly by manipulating the horizontal rudders and can be steered laterally by means of the vertical rudder, the

Should the elevating mechanism become disabled, the flaps 87 can be drawn upwardly so as to extend across the openings 42 and the sustaining plane formed by the frame 31,,wings 40 and flaps 87 will thus act as a chine.

It is to be understood that the various parts of the machine can be braced Wherever it is deemed desirable and that there is no limitation as to the materialwhich may be employed in the construction of the various parts. Various changes can of course be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. An aerodrome including a car, elevating wheels thereabove, a sustaining plane supported above the wheels and including a frame and transversely extending pivoted wings, there being apertures withln said plane and directly above the wheels, said apertures being open under normal conditions, flapsdepending from the frame, and means for simultaneously swinging the flaps forwardly or rearwardly to partly or entirely open or close the openings respectively.

2. An aerodrome including a car, elevata sustaining plane supported above the wheels and including a frame and transversely extending wings, said wings being-movable automatically to open and to closed position relative to the frame, there being apertures within said plane and directly above the wheels, said wings being arranged around the apertures, flaps suspended from the frame and adjacent the apertures, flexible means extending into the car for swinging the flaps simultaneously to close the apertures, and means extending swinging the flaps simul taneously to open the apertures.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. NATHANIEL L. MAYHEW.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM CRIoH'roN CLARKE, G o. B. Prr'rs.

parachute to' retard the downward movement of the mamechanisms utilized for these 

